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Executive and Legislative documents laid before the General Assembly of North-Carolina [1871; 1872]

1871-'72.1 Document No. 1. 13
educate themselves shall be educated by the State—that in the
next decade every person between the ages of ten and twenty
years, who is of sound mind, shall be able to read the Word of
God, and the Constitution and laws of the country. Fear not
to levy tribute for this glorious cause. It will be like bread
cast upon the waters : " Thou shalt find it after many days.'
THE UNIVERSITY.
With regard to the University of the State, a principal ol>
struction to its success is its pecuniary embarrassments, for
which, as far as I can judge, the board of trustees are in no
wise responsible. The principal debt, amounting to about sixty
tliousand dollars, was incurred, and a mortgage made to secure
the same, before they came into office. In 1868 the patronage
of the Institution had been reduced to less than one hundred
students. Prior to this time, however, the principal portion of
its endowments had been lost by unfortunate investments.
Until the Institution is relieved from debt, and its property
from incumbrance, there can be but little hope of its success or
usefulness. In my opinion an honest and faithful effort was
made to lift the University from the condition in which it was
found at the close of the late war. This met with little or no
favor from the class of persons by whom it was crushed.
They have not aided the officers in their efforts to build it up.
Public opinion has been moulded against it by the most un-scrupulous
misrepresentations, and by violent appeals through
a partizan press. Those who would have patronized it were
threatened with social ostracism. The young were deterred
from entering its halls, and parents very naturally hesitated to
compel the attendance of their sons, and now the cause of
failure is imputed by some, to the Trustees and Faculty. The
remoteness of Chapel Hill from the railroad is believed by
many to be in the way of its prosperity. It is more difficult of
access than other colleges, but this is a matter of minor im-portance.

1871-'72.1 Document No. 1. 13
educate themselves shall be educated by the State—that in the
next decade every person between the ages of ten and twenty
years, who is of sound mind, shall be able to read the Word of
God, and the Constitution and laws of the country. Fear not
to levy tribute for this glorious cause. It will be like bread
cast upon the waters : " Thou shalt find it after many days.'
THE UNIVERSITY.
With regard to the University of the State, a principal ol>
struction to its success is its pecuniary embarrassments, for
which, as far as I can judge, the board of trustees are in no
wise responsible. The principal debt, amounting to about sixty
tliousand dollars, was incurred, and a mortgage made to secure
the same, before they came into office. In 1868 the patronage
of the Institution had been reduced to less than one hundred
students. Prior to this time, however, the principal portion of
its endowments had been lost by unfortunate investments.
Until the Institution is relieved from debt, and its property
from incumbrance, there can be but little hope of its success or
usefulness. In my opinion an honest and faithful effort was
made to lift the University from the condition in which it was
found at the close of the late war. This met with little or no
favor from the class of persons by whom it was crushed.
They have not aided the officers in their efforts to build it up.
Public opinion has been moulded against it by the most un-scrupulous
misrepresentations, and by violent appeals through
a partizan press. Those who would have patronized it were
threatened with social ostracism. The young were deterred
from entering its halls, and parents very naturally hesitated to
compel the attendance of their sons, and now the cause of
failure is imputed by some, to the Trustees and Faculty. The
remoteness of Chapel Hill from the railroad is believed by
many to be in the way of its prosperity. It is more difficult of
access than other colleges, but this is a matter of minor im-portance.